Here We Go Again
by jbn42
Summary: Nothing is ever simple, not even an easy run for plants to make medications. What should have been fast and safe turns into yet another brush with mortality for Alicia and Nathaniel. Rated T for mild swearing here and there.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. This is just a bit more with my OC from the past, Caroline. Doubt I'll be writing much, if any, more for this fandom, but I'd been reading over some of these, and I wanted to give one more look into BAMF and the Terra Nova family! Not sure how many chapters this will be - I intended a one-shot, but it morphed into something different. This is fairly fluffy and introspective, at least at the beginning, but it'll turn into my usual adventure story.

**Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine, just borrowing.**

Through the haze of sleep, Alicia feels the bed dip twice, and she can't help but blink her eyes a few times, her hand slipping towards the nightstand to find a pulse pistol. After Gracie's birth (and the similarly-timed eradication of the Phoenix Group), she and Nathaniel both stopped sleeping with their guns under their pillows, but the weapons are still usually within arms-reach.

"Mama, don't shoot us, K?" Gracie mumbles, and Alicia feels a small form fit itself to her side.

Alicia opens her eyes fully to see what is going on. She's greeted by the sight of Gracie right next to her and Caroline, a sheepish look on her face, curling into Nathaniel's usual spot near Alicia in the large bed. Gracie is already asleep again, snoring softly as she clutches her stuffed dinosaur to her chest, smushing the poor creature between Gracie and Alicia.

After Alicia shoots her a questioning look, their adopted older daughter quietly explains, "She was upset that Papa is still OTG. I know we all explained that they just weren't finished in time last night and that nothing is amiss, but she still had a nightmare that gave her a fright. She was sleeping in my room, but I couldn't get her to settle again. I'm sorry we woke you, Mama."

Alicia nods. She'd actually been surprised when Gracie hadn't tried to sleep with her last night, and she's oddly comforted to know that even after less than six months, Gracie is so attached to Caroline that she went to her first. After peering at the clock and seeing that it's only half past four, Alicia rolls to her side, tucking Gracie closer. She then reaches out with her hand and brushes Caroline's hair from her eyes. "It's OK, Little One," she uses the nickname Nathaniel gave her, which, like "Bug" for Gracie, just stuck, "I don't mind. Go back to sleep."

Caroline smiles and snuggles into Nathaniel's pillow, her eyes closing and her body quickly relaxing into sleep. Alicia watches the older girl sleep, amazed at how much has changed in the last six months. Gracie recently turned four, and she follows Caroline around like a groupie – her carbon copy child worships Caroline, and Caroline seems to have similar affection for Gracie.

Alicia can't help but wonder if it was some sort of strange fate that brought the young woman into their time and sphere. She is highly protective of the girl, but Caroline is learning her way quickly.

Since taking self-defense classes from her, Caroline has become close friends with Reilly. Even though the soldier is just over thirty and Caroline only recently eighteen, they seem to have a kinship that no one would have predicted, particularly considering the differences in their backgrounds. Alicia has been quite amused to watch Caroline henpeck Reilly somewhat over Reilly's relationship with Dunham – Alicia knows the two soldiers are close, but she has never been able to discern whether they're just friends or more.

Turnabout being fair play, Reilly likes to tease Caroline about her ongoing "courtship," a word Caroline uses and Nathaniel approves of, with Josh Shannon. Alicia is endlessly amused by how smitten the young man is with Caroline, and she has to admit that he has been wonderfully and surprisingly respectful of her boundaries, imposed and imprinted mostly by her upbringing in Victorian England.

As she watches her two girls sleep, Alicia laughs softly to herself. Even ten years ago, if someone had told her where she'd be right now, she'd have laughed in their face. But here she is, mother of a precocious, blue-eyed version of herself and adopted mother of a teenaged orphan from nineteenth-century England. It's almost silly to her, but at this point, she can't even envision a life any different from the one she has now.

She tries to go back to sleep, but after an hour, she realizes that it's futile. She adjusts her pillow against Gracie, who hugs it tight to her little body. When Gracie settles back down, Alicia slips out of bed and into the added-on private bathroom attached to hers and Nathaniel's bedroom. After using the restroom and changing into some workout clothes she keeps on a hook on the back of the door, she quietly exits the bathroom and then the bedroom, grabbing her comm, thigh holster, pulse pistol and running shoes on the way out.

She scribbles a note to Caroline that she went for a run, and she steps out into the pre-dawn morning, shivering lightly in the cool, damp air. She's in long running pants and a t-shirt with a hoodie over it, so she zips up her hoodie and sets out towards the perimeter fence. She's not actually doing the perimeter walk this morning; when either she or Nathaniel are OTG, the one remaining behind will assign the walk to another team, usually Guz and Mira or Carter and Shannon.

As she runs through the edge of the colony, she can see farmers and market vendors already emerging to start their day. She waves to all as she passes, her ponytail swinging in rhythm with her steps, but she doesn't slow. She doesn't really like running as exercise, but when Nathaniel isn't here, it usually helps to clear her head.

She would never admit it to Gracie and Caroline, but her heart flipped over when Nathaniel called and said they wouldn't be back last night. There was something in his voice that told her not everything was right, something she knows only she could hear. Hopefully, he'll call in this morning to say they're on the way back. He has some younger soldiers as well as Malcolm, Carter, Dunham and Elisabeth with him, as they'd been out to try to find a plant that Elisabeth wants for a medication she's working on.

They'd just said they couldn't finish gathering what they needed last night, but Alicia thinks it's more complicated than that. Nathaniel didn't have a chance to talk to her on his own, something that she found a little disconcerting.

Shaking her head, she tries to focus on other things. She smirks a little, remembering when Caroline arrived home from a date with Josh the night before. He'd had the night off from Boylan's, and he'd taken her for dinner in the market and then to read some history in the Eye. It's funny, even Josh jokes that he's learned more about history because of Caroline than he ever did in school.

Last night was the first time Alicia can remember that Caroline returned from an outing with Josh looking…rumpled. She chuckles. She's fairly certain that they've moved beyond the cheek-kissing phase, but she also could see that Caroline's clothing was intact – just a little wrinkled. Alicia isn't worried that it'll go any further than kissing, if only because of things that Caroline has relayed to her, completely scandalized, about other young people in the colony.

Alicia is frankly just waiting for the day that Josh proposes. She can see that he adores Caroline, and she also knows that he's been working on Boylan about starting a restaurant that will be open during the day. It will essentially be an expansion of the bar, and Alicia has heard that Boylan is seriously considering it. Josh has a friend from the market who wants a steady job cooking, and Josh wants a day job.

It would be nice for them to have another place to eat out during the day, and Alicia is actually hoping that Boylan goes along. Alicia has some favors saved up from construction crews and such - she'd never abuse her position in the colony to get her way, but there have been times she has helped people out with either manpower or supplies and a few of the crews owe her. If Boylan is amenable, she may call in some favors. She wants Caroline to be happy, and Josh with a regular day job might help to facilitate that.

Sighing, she scans the area along the fence and taps her comm to be sure it's on. She really wants Nathaniel to call. She's no good at not knowing what's going on, and she feels sure that something is going on. She's so distracted that she doesn't notice someone is behind her until they get shoulder-to-shoulder with her. She immediately whips out her pistol, powering it up as she does.

She skids to a stop and holds it in the face of a surprised-looking Jim Shannon. He blinks and uses one finger to move the gun away from his head. "Jeez, Wash. You're inside the fence. Who or what exactly did you think was sneaking up on you?"

Shrugging, she gives him an exasperated look. She powers down her pistol and re-holsters it. "Old habits die hard, Shannon. What's up?"

It's his turn to shrug. "Nothing really. Need company?"

She suddenly notices that he's clad similarly to her, running gear and a hoodie. "You worried too?" She nods at him and sets off again, and he keeps pace with her.

After a moment, he says, "Something was up last night."

"I know." Alicia nods. "I think Nathaniel wanted to talk to me alone, but Malcolm wouldn't shut up."

Shannon snorts. "What else is new?" He pauses. "Taylor looked annoyed, more annoyed than usual. And Elisabeth was too quiet. Something was off."

"I was afraid you'd say that. I was hoping it was just my imagination." She heads back towards the colony, planning to stop by the command center before going home to shower and dress for the day. Caroline will already be getting Gracie ready for school and herself ready for a day helping out there. She has thus far declined Maddy's offers to join science. She's still not comfortable with this new world, but she loves helping out with the children at the preschool.

As they close in on the command center, Alicia begins to feel a knot forming in her stomach. Something just isn't right. She can feel it. Sure enough, before they get there Alicia's comm goes off. "Lieutenant Washington, come in?"

Alicia taps her comm to respond to the corporal in communications. "This is Washington, go ahead."

"Ma'am, I have a call for you from Outpost Three. Are you nearby?"

She swallows hard. That's where Nathaniel and the team are, the same outpost where he and Elisabeth once succumbed to the memory-loss illness. There aren't significant predators there, so she's hoping it's nothing serious. "I am, Corporal. I'll be there in under two minutes."

True to her word, Alicia arrives at communications about 90 seconds later, Shannon right on her heels. She grabs the mike at the comm station. "Nathaniel?"

Her heart drops to her shoes when Carter responds instead. "Wash, it's me. We need a rescue team out here on the double."

None of Carter's usual joking demeanor is present. "What the hell, Carter?" She flips on a camera. "On visual, Carter. Now."

He sighs, and a moment later his face pops up on the screen in front of them. Before she can demand an explanation, he says, "Wash, Shannon, we've lost contact with Dunham, the doc and Taylor. We were having trouble getting the doc's plants due to some sinkholes out here. We thought we'd found a clear route to the plants, but we didn't go until this morning. I was on the six, Taylor in the lead and Dunham with the doc. I heard all three of them yell, and then they were just…gone."

Alicia blinks, and she hears Shannon take a sharp breath behind her. She holds her hand up to keep him from exploding at Carter, who looks honestly distressed. "What do you need, Carter?"

"You, Wash. We need you and as much climbing gear as you can get together. And we need a deep surface scanner, one with sonar capability. I can't see the bottom of the hole, Wash, but if we're going to find them, it's going to be you and me going down. No one else can do it."

Before she can reply, Alicia hears a commotion in the background. Carter yells, "Doc, not now. I know what we need."

When he turns back to the screen, he looks exasperated, and Alicia is very briefly amused. "Malcolm?"

Carter rolls his eyes. "Got it in one. He's flipping out. As soon as we disconnect, I'm going to put him to work trying to amp up the comms. There are some mineral deposits screwing with the signals. That's honestly why we think we can't raise them, Wash."

She nods and reaches over to squeeze Jim's arm. "Carter, this isn't going to be like regular climbing or rappelling. Isn't it soft?"

Carter frowns. "It is. That's why it has to be you and me. No one else is skilled enough to manage it. I'm sorry, Alicia. I know you don't like to leave Gracie with neither of you there."

Alicia shakes her head. "It's OK, Carter. I'll send her and Caroline to stay with Shannon and Zoe." She looks at Jim and he nods. "They'll be OK – she's older now and bonded like crazy to Caroline. That will help a lot."

"Understood, Wash. Can you let Skye know what's up? I have a bag of climbing gear – she knows where it is. I need that."

"Will do, Carter," she gives him a brief smile. "Do you have a helmet in there?"

"I do. Just add a metric shit-ton of line and anchors and some harnesses." He frowns again. "Hurry, Wash. I'm worried as hell."

Her stomach flips over again. It scares the crap out of her to see Carter so serious. "It's only a few hours out there, Carter. I'll be there as fast as I can."

"We'll be waiting, Wash. Be careful. Outpost Three out." Carter gives her one last nod and flips off the connection.

As the screen goes dark, Alicia looks up at Shannon. He looks vaguely ill, but he gives her a game smile. "Never a dull moment, right?"

"Right." She runs a hand through her hair, falling loose from her ponytail. "Here we go again."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. This is just a bit more with my OC from the past, Caroline. Also, I don't think we ever heard Dunham's first name, so I'm giving him one. : )

Thanks for the positive response to chapter 1! I know our fandom here is small, and I appreciate the comments and follows!

**Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine, just borrowing.**

Alicia packs the rover, throwing Carter's climbing gear in the back next to her own and the requested scanning equipment. Skye stands nearby, shifting nervously. Mira is next to her, arm around her shoulders. There's one other rover going, driven by a security team member with another doctor from the infirmary aboard just in case. They don't need a rhino, as they already have one and another rover out there.

Originally, Alicia had planned to take Mark with her, but Reilly intervened and asked to go. Given her closeness with Dunham, Alicia agreed. Maybe it's not the most practical decision, but Alicia knows how frustrating it is to stay behind when someone you care about might be in danger. That thought makes Alicia look over at Shannon, also standing nearby with Gracie on his hip and Caroline and Zoe next to him.

Reilly arrives and starts to stow her gear, so Alicia walks over to Shannon. She holds her arms out and takes Gracie, hugging her close. "You're almost too big for this, Little Bug." Gracie buries her faces in Alicia's shoulder, sniffling quietly. "I love you so much, my Bug. Be good for Uncle Shannon and Caroline, OK? I'll be back with Daddy before you know it."

"I will, Mama," she mumbles, "But bring back Unca Carter, Auntie Lisabeth, and Unca Casey too, OK?"

Alicia chuckles at the fact that Gracie mentioned Carter, Elisabeth and Dunham, but made one obvious omission. "What about Uncle Malcolm?"

Gracie pulls back, a cross expression on her little face. "I hope he OK, but you can leave him at the outpost. He still trouble!"

Alicia laughs again, glad for the distraction from worry about Nathaniel and the others. "I know, Gracie. He's definitely trouble. But I really don't think it was his fault this time."

Gracie huffs out a breath. "OK, Mama. Still trouble, though."

Hugging Gracie one more time, she then passes her back to Shannon, who she thanks with a nod and a small smile. She turns to Caroline and hugs her close too. "We'll find them, Little One. They'll be all right."

Caroline clings on as Gracie had. "I know you and Carter will do your best, Mama. I just want Papa to be all right, and Dr. Elisabeth and Casey as well." She pauses and steps back slightly. "Gracie and I will be fine with Zoe and Mr. Shannon, and I'll be sure to take care of Gracie if she gets a fright again."

"Thank you, sweetie," Alicia smooths Caroline's soft blonde hair back, "I love you, and I'm glad you're here to help with Gracie."

"I love you too, Mama, and I am also glad to be here." She smiles and steps back, looking up in surprise to see that Josh has joined them along with Mark and Maddy.

Josh wraps his arms around Caroline from behind, pulling her much smaller form close to his chest. "I'll help Dad look after them too, Lieutenant."

She gives him a game smile. "Thanks, Josh." Turning back to Shannon, who hands Gracie off to Caroline, she says, "Thank you for not fighting me on staying behind, Shannon."

"It's for the Bug, Wash. You know that." He reaches out and grips her shoulder.

She covers his hand with hers and gives it a squeeze. "I do. We'll get her back, Jim. Carter and I will get her back."

"Thanks." He nods and looks down, and she just sighs and gives him a quick hug before heading for the rover, Reilly already waiting in the passenger seat. She waves to them all, blowing a kiss to Gracie, before jumping in and calling up to open the gate. Seconds later, they tear out of the gate, the second rover close behind.

The ride is mostly silent, both Alicia and Reilly lost in their own thoughts. Just a couple of hours later, when they're closing in on the outpost, Alicia makes Reilly jump a bit when she opens a private channel and says, "Laura, we'll find him."

The younger woman looks at Alicia in surprise, and then she sighs and nods. "I wish I could go down with you and Carter. If he's OK, though, Wash, Casey can climb. I think you know that."

"I do," Alicia smiles briefly, "After me and Carter, he's one of the best on the wall. Laura, what's going on with you two?" At Reilly's worried face, Alicia quickly adds, "Do you really think Nathaniel and I would give anyone a hard time about frat regs? We were certainly the first to break them here, but we weren't the last."

"We were just friends at first. Then we were…friends with benefits." Reilly blushes lightly. "But lately we've been talking about being more serious. We've been talking long term. It's not the stuff of fairy tales, love at first sight and all that, but it's happy. We're happy. And what started out as simple attraction and then affection is becoming…"

"More?" Alicia supplies.

"Yeah," she blinks, "I mean, yes ma'am."

"Then Laura, do something about it. When we find them," she glances over at the younger soldier, who meets her eyes, "Do something about it."

After a beat, Reilly nods. "Yes ma'am."

They lapse back into silence until Alicia radios Carter that they're two minutes out. He's waiting at the door to the outpost when they pull up, an irritated look on his face. When an equally irritated-looking Malcolm steps out behind him, Alicia and Reilly exchange a knowing look. Alicia snorts. "You get the doc, Laura. I'm loading up Carter and heading out immediately. Check in with the colony to let them know we're here, then follow us out for support."

Alicia doesn't even power down the rover, instead just waiting for Reilly to step out with her pack and the scanner and for Carter to climb in. He has a small pack with him as well as a cross-body messenger style first aid kit. Before he gets in, she hears him tell Reilly where they'll be and to come monitor the lines and the area once they're done checking in.

As he settles in, Alicia backs out, taps her comm to confirm what she heard him say to Reilly, "Northwest?" He nods and points in that direction, and she takes off. "What happened between you and Malcolm? And don't say 'nothing,' because you both looked pissed."

He crosses his arms across his chest. "He just tends to forget that he's not next in line after Taylor in the OTG chain-of-command. I damn near had to lock him in a bunk room to get him to stop trying to order the security detail around." He looks over at her. "And before you ask, no, I haven't been able to raise Taylor, the doc, or Dunham, but I'm getting static. It makes me think they may be trying to call us, maybe a good sign."

The knot of tension in Alicia's gut loosens, even if only slightly. She gives him a tight nod, and then he points at an area where the terrain looks uneven. "Park right in front of the trees at the bottom of the rougher ground. We haven't seen any predators at all around. I'm thinking they must be attuned to the fact that the ground is unstable, and I take it as another good sign that maybe they aren't smelling blood or…," he hesitates briefly before finishing, "Bodies."

She winces but parks as he directed, and they both jump out and start to gear up. She looks at him after trading her boots for her sturdy rock climbing shoes. "I know you have the geology background, so what are we facing here, Carter? Honesty please."

He shrugs into his climbing pack, the first aid kit strapped across his chest. "I think it's an underground river degrading the surface. There's a lot of limestone and salt deposits around here, and I know there's a river nearby that seems to come from nowhere. I'm thinking we've figured out the source," he hands her a new comm, "Malcolm did earn his keep a little last night – boosted the signals. Hopefully these," he motions to his own comm, "Will work underground."

"Understood. Have you ever climbed soft rock like this?"

He nods. "Yes, but nothing degraded this badly. It's going to be slow going when and if we have to rappel or climb," she starts to ask him what he means by "if" when he holds up a hand. "I brought a soldier with me and scouted some this morning. I found a way in that might be something we can slide or walk down with little to no real climbing needed. I'm hoping we can set lines as we go and maybe get our people out the same way, even if we have to climb or rappel here and there."

He starts walking, and she follows close behind. "Elisabeth can't…"

He nods, not looking back. "I know. Hopefully Taylor and Dunham are both OK. We're going to have to help the doc – it's going to be bad if we have to help one or both of them too." They get to the edge of a decline, the ground steadily dropping away into darkness. She sees there are already several, likely more than enough, anchors pounded in. At her questioning look, he shrugs. "I had some basic gear in my usual pack. I got us started. I need you to tell me the truth now, Wash. Are you OK?"

She blinks in confusion, but then her eyes narrow, prompting him to say, "Don't get mad, Alicia – I just know this is personal between Taylor and Liz both being down there. Do you need a moment or anything? And even if you don't now, if you do later, I need you to say so."

Her expression softens. "I can't think about it too much, Carter. If I do, I'll get upset. I just need to focus on the task at hand. So yes, I'm basically OK. I'll let you know if that changes. Now, down?"

"Down."

They both drop to their knees to test the anchors that Carter placed earlier, working quietly and efficiently. Once they're both satisfied that they'll hold, they thread their climbing ropes for support, though Alicia thinks Carter is right – they can ease down this slope on their feet or even on their rears if they want to.

As they both are pulling on harnesses, climbing gloves and helmets, Reilly pulls up in a rover followed by a team in the second rover. Malcolm climbs out of Reilly's, the scanning equipment in hand. "Carter, Wash, I'll do what I can to guide you based on the scans. Hopefully the comm signals will work."

Alicia nods as she and Carter thread the lines into their harnesses. "Thanks, Malcolm." She looks at Reilly. "Keep an eye out. No predators so far, but who the hell knows what's next. Also watch our lines as we descend. And don't take any crap from Dr. Wallace. Military issues, military in charge." She glances back at Malcolm. "Sorry, Malcolm. But it's my call."

He scowls, but he doesn't argue. He'll gripe at Shannon and Carter, but he's far more reticent with Nathaniel and Alicia. "Fine."

With that, she exchanges a quick glance with Carter, and they both step towards the edge of the slope down into the dark beyond. It's at the far end of where Carter last saw the missing team, but she's guessing that he's right – she knows he wouldn't steer her wrong on this. They both try to step backwards down, holding their lines, but the rock is crumbling and slippery. She smirks at him and turns and drops to her butt, and he laughs lightly and does the same.

It's inelegant but effective, and they inch their way down. As they start to lose the natural light from above, they both flip on lights attached to their helmets. Alicia gasps, and she hears Carter do the same. About fifteen feet in front of them, they can see that the surface appears to drop away to nothingness.

They continue to edge down, and Alicia breathes a sigh of relief – there's a ledge about six feet below where they are, and they'll be able to drop to it easily. Moments later, they're both down. She shines a light in the direction where the team should be, and Carter calls up to Malcolm and Reilly that they're down.

Over comms, Alicia hears Malcolm say, "Scans show a large cavern, but it'll likely narrow down as you move towards their last location, Carter. There are gaps here and there, but they don't look impassable."

Alicia and Carter both roll their eyes and tap off their comms. Looking at Carter, Alicia makes air quotes and says, "Gaps?"

Carter snorts and carefully heads off in the direction they need, Alicia close behind. "Yeah, I'm a little worried about what that might mean. But it's also encouraging – might be why the team couldn't get out – maybe they're passable with gear but not without."

"You know, they also may not have much in the way of lights." She looks thoughtful.

"I'm betting Taylor had one in his pack, but Dunham and the doc only had bags for the plants." She stops and sets an anchor in the wall, threading the rope she's still attached to through.

He lifts an eyebrow. "Breadcrumbs?"

She nods. "Basically. I'd really like us to be able to find our way back."

He does the same, continuing his line. They have a lot of the light climbing rope with them, so they both hope they'll have enough to keep both lines going. They creep along the edge of the cavern, making sure the surface feels solid beneath their feet. After about 50 yards and only a few of Malcolm's promised "gaps," those only about two feet each, Alicia looks back at Carter. "How far do you think they'd be?"

He leans away from the wall and shines his light forward, seeing the cavern start to narrow ahead. "Maybe another hundred feet or so."

Alicia taps her comm, thinking maybe they can get reception down here, closer to the missing team. "Nathaniel, do you read? Elisabeth? Dunham?"

It's silent for a moment, but then she gets some static back. She exchanges a glance with Carter and says into the comm, "If you can hear me, Nathaniel, sit tight. Carter and I are coming. Also, if you can hear me, start yelling. Anything to help us find you down here."

Seconds later, they hear muffled shouting from ahead, and Alicia breathes a small sigh of relief. Carter squeezes her arm, and she gives him a quick nod before moving towards the sounds. She hears Carter on the comm telling Malcolm and Reilly that they're getting close.

The cavern suddenly begins to narrow sharply, and Alicia realizes that there's a small tunnel ahead. It looks to be about four feet high and maybe three feet wide. "OK, Carter, talk to me about geology. How stable do you think that is?"

He looks concerned. "Probably not as stable as we want it to be. No anchors in there, OK?"

"Hang back until I'm through. Wouldn't do to have both of us stuck in there."

He gives her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am." She flips him an obscene gesture, but then she smiles and nods when he adds, "Be careful, Alicia."

Putting her hands out to gently test the sides and roof of the small tunnel, she moves through it quickly and carefully. Once through, she shines her light around, and the shouting voices start up again, Nathaniel's voice discernable among them. She calls back to Carter, "It's OK to come through. Soft but stable for now at least."

She then moves towards the voices, and she realizes that she also hears the sound of running water. "Nathaniel?"

The voices stop, and then Nathaniel answers back, "We're here, Alicia. I can see your light; you're about thirty feet away, but be careful – we found an underground river, and I'm guessing it's between you and us."

Alicia is worried by Nathaniel's words, but at the same time it's wonderful to hear him sound like he's physically fine. "Copy that, Nathaniel."

She hears Carter behind her as she moves towards the sound of the rushing water and the voices. A moment later, she comes to a stop, a huge gap in the ground in front of her. She shines her light down, and about twenty feet below, water is flowing rapidly disappearing into the darkness.

"Alicia!"

She looks up sharply, and in seconds she spots a ledge about 15 feet away from them but only about 10 feet higher. Nathaniel stands near the edge of it, looking a little banged up but mostly unharmed. "Nathaniel! Where are Elisabeth and Casey?"

"We're here, Alicia." Elisabeth steps out of the shadows, and Alicia can see that she's wearing a makeshift sling on her left arm. Dunham comes into view as well, like Nathaniel, looking banged up but OK.

Carter comes to a stop next to her, but she barely notices. She finds herself with her eyes locked with Nathaniel's, having a silent conversation of sorts. His eyes look half-pleased to see her and half-upset that she's here, and she knows that her eyes are basically saying, "As if I would be anywhere else."

Carter gives them a moment before clearing his throat. "If we can get a line to them, maybe they can just zip across?"

Alicia blinks and nods, tearing her eyes away from Nathaniel's. "Yeah. But I'm a little worried about the integrity of the wall, especially under Casey and Nathaniel's weight."

"Ditto, but I don't think we have a choice, Wash. We can't climb over there, and it's too far to jump." Carter's brow furrows.

She sighs. "Agreed. I forgot to grab the crossbow I have to run lines across. Tie it to one of the extra flashlights and throw?"

He nods. "We'll have to throw them a bag with harnesses, carabiners, anchors and a rock hammer too." Without another word, he drops to his knees to put the two items together.

Walking to the edge, Alicia calls to Nathaniel, raising her voice to carry over the river, "Nathaniel, we're going to throw you a line and a bag of gear to set it. Then we'll have you three zip down. We're putting in three harnesses and carabiners. Casey?" she sees Dunham come to attention, "You know how to adjust the harnesses and set the anchors, correct?"

"Yes ma'am." The younger man nods.

"Good. Help Nathaniel, and get the doc ready first. She's the lightest, and I assume, most seriously injured?"

Nathaniel confirms it, "She is, Alicia."

"How bad is it?" Alicia feels a wave of concern for her friend.

Elisabeth answers this time. "I'm all right, Alicia. A few bruised ribs and a fractured left ulna, as far as I can tell. Sore more than anything."

"OK," Carter stands up, the line and bag in hand.

He gives her the bag, and he motions that the line is coming first. He flips on the flashlight anchoring the rope, and he calls, "Heads up, Taylor," and lets Nathaniel prepare to get the rope at the other end before heaving it across.

It's a good throw, and the flashlight bounces off of the back wall of the ledge, giving Nathaniel the chance to stop it before it slides off of the ledge. He hands the light to Dunham, and Carter follows with the bag. They all stay quiet as the three on the ledge gear up. Alicia and Carter turn and set the anchors for the line on the other side, and, despite Carter's protests, Alicia clips in and anchors the other end of the zip line, mainly as a back up. As she told Carter, she's worried about the walls holding up, but he's better equipped physically to stop the three as they come across. She stays clipped to the lead line from the entrance too, though that worries her a little.

Once Nathaniel and Dunham appear satisfied that the line is solid, they clip Elisabeth in. Moments later, she's coming across the gap, and Carter catches her as gently as he can. She still cries out a little, but then she reassures Carter that she's fine. Carter checks the anchors and confirms that they're holding.

Dunham and Nathaniel check the line again, and while Alicia can see that he's not happy about it, Dunham clips in next, coming across a few seconds later. When he's on his feet and Nathaniel and Carter are checking the line again, Dunham comes up to Alicia. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I wanted him to go before me."

Alicia gives him a game smile, "It's OK, kid. He's the heaviest of the three of you, and he's in charge. I knew he'd go last." She shrugs. "And you'll remember being there the time this happened with me and Reynolds. I made Mark go first. Part of our job is looking out for our people."

"Yes ma'am."

As the young man steps away, "And by the way, Case, Laura is waiting up top. She's pretty freaked out. Just so you know."

Dunham blushes lightly and gives her a sheepish smile. "Yes ma'am."

She grins and then looks up at Nathaniel. Her smile fades at his expression. He calls down. "It's going to be close, Alicia. I reset the lines, but the wall is giving way. It's all too soft."

"It's holding over here, but not great," Carter adds. "We don't have a choice, though, Taylor, it's too far for you to clear without a serious running start, and even then, the injuries could be bad when you land."

They all exchange a glance and then a nod, and Alicia sets her feet and hands on the line. She holds her breath when Nathaniel steps off. In seconds, he's halfway over, but then the line jerks. She feels it loosening under her hands, and she hears Carter say, "Son of a bitch."

Nathaniel is just too heavy. The lines start to pull from both ends, but mostly from above. It stops Nathaniel's progress, as he dips lower than the destination. Alicia strains under the weight as the anchors at their end start to give too. Nathaniel is starting to pull himself up along the line when the top anchors give completely, the wall at the back of the ledge crumbling.

Alicia is jerked forward a moment later when the anchors at her end give way under Nathaniel's weight. She hears him hit the water below with a splash and a yell, and she tries to set herself to hold him, but it's too much too fast. She is dragged over the edge, and she follows Nathaniel into the river. She can still feel him at the other end of the line, and she calls out his name. "I'm here, Alicia." He's disappeared under the cave wall that the river flows into, but it's a relief to know his head is above water.

They're being dragged, though, and Alicia is pulling against the lead line hard. It keeps pushing her head under the water, and she feels herself getting tangled in the two lines even as she tries to get to the wall. Carter yells down, "Alicia? How fast can you get up? The cave is collapsing fast." He dodges some debris that falls, and she knows they have no time.

With a sinking feeling, Alicia feels Nathaniel's line running out through the carabiner on her own harness, she stops fighting and does her best to knot that line off at the end, connecting her to Nathaniel. "I can't, Carter. It's pulling me under and I'm losing Nathaniel. Get the others to safety and try to find where the river comes out."

"What?" Alicia looks up to see Carter's face turn panicked at the ledge. "No, Wash, Dunham and I can pull you two up."

"Not fast enough, Carter, and you know it. And I'm not leaving him alone down here." Her soaked pack is already heavy, but she knows she can't abandon it, as it has supplies they might need. "Be careful, Carter, and find us." Without another word, Alicia pulls out her utility knife, and ignoring Carter's protests, she slices through the lead line. The current pulls her towards Nathaniel, and they both disappear down the underground river, leaving a horrified team behind in the crumbling cave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **Set in the context of my other stories. The relationships are all established, the Sixers are re-integrated into the colony, and the Phoenix Group and Lucas are long gone. This is just a bit more with my OC from the past, Caroline.

This one got away from me, so a nice long chapter. Just a tiny (non-smutty) bit of sexytime at the end. There will be a short epilogue in the next few days. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer is as usual – no profit, not mine, just borrowing.**

_In the Cave_

"Damn it, Alicia!" Carter yells. He's frustrated, but deep down he knows she did the right thing. Another huge piece of the ceiling falls near him, and he turns to look at Dunham and the doc, who both are in shock at what Alicia just did. "Move, you two, out the tunnel, double time." He hands Dunham a flashlight.

"But Carter," Elisabeth's shaky voice pipes up, "We can't just…" She stops talking and looks back towards the river.

Carter motions to Dunham to head out. The younger man does, scooting out through the tunnel as Carter gently takes Elisabeth's good arm and propels her out. He says quietly, "Doc, we have to go. We can't help them if we end up trapped in here. And if you have pain from your ribs, you and I both know we need to keep you as still as possible to avoid making it worse."

They emerge from the small tunnel and keep going, Elisabeth nodding and frowning in agreement. Carter looks back at the degrading tunnel, thinking, "If you die on us, Alicia, I'm going to kick your ass."

_In the River_

Alicia takes a deep breath as the current sweeps her under the cave wall, knowing she'll likely submerge a little when she goes through. She does, but the water itself doesn't touch the top of the cave, explaining why she could hear Nathaniel when she called out to him.

She surfaces moments later, coughing a little before she calls out to Nathaniel. She thinks she hears a response, but it's hard to tell over the echoes in the cave and the rushing water. She reaches out and puts her hand on the line connecting them, and she realizes that it's tight. Since he's downstream from her, it's easy enough to go with the current and pull herself along the rope, calling out to him as she goes. She still can't quite hear him, but she feels a pull on the rope, making her think he's pulling her to him.

After she gets through about ten feet of rope, she finally hears him responding clearly. "Alicia, keep coming, I can see you."

She realizes that she still has her helmet on and the light lit, and she's just grateful that the thing is water resistant. She tries to see ahead of her, and while she can't see him clearly, she can see a light. She remembers that he has a flashlight. He must have turned it on, telling her that he's managed to stop moving away from her.

With his help, she drags herself another twenty feet or so, but her energy is flagging under the current and the weight of her pack. Just when she starts thinking she may need to call to him to assist her with the pack, she feels a strong hand around her upper arm. Before she can say anything, she's lifted from the water, and she immediately helps him by scrambling up the rocks that her feet and fingers find.

He pulls her up next to him, perched on a relatively small ledge over the water. He silently helps her shrug out of her soaked pack and pull off her helmet and gloves, and then he drags her tight to him in a hug. "Damn it, Alicia, you should have gone with the others. Carter might've been able to…"

She shakes her head even as she presses her face into his neck. "The cave was collapsing. They would've wasted too much time trying to pull me up, and then maybe all five of us would be down here instead of just you and me," she pulls back and presses a quick, gentle kiss to his mouth, "And you know Carter would have kept trying, even if he got himself killed in the process."

Nathaniel presses his forehead to hers, holding her tight to him. "Touché."

She pulls back, and she gets a good look at his face in the soft light from his flashlight and the light of her helmet, which sits on the ledge next to them. Her fingers quickly ghost over the cuts and scrapes on his skin, her brow furrowing. He reaches up and takes her hands in his. "I'm OK. Elisabeth checked them all over. She was far and away the worst off of the three of us." She nods and links their fingers together. "Is the Bug…"

"She and Caroline are staying with Shannon and Zoe." She gives him a game smile. "Gracie was scared, but having Caroline helps."

"OK," he takes a deep breath and scans around the cave, "What do we do now?"

Alicia takes a look at the ledge, grabs her helmet and stands up carefully. Nathaniel rises next to her, and she feels his hand at her back. Using the light, she tries to find a path for them. Looking up and just slightly to their right, she can see a ledge running along the edge of the cave. She points. "Can you make that climb, Nathaniel?" It's only about ten or twelve feet up the wall.

He peers at it for a moment before nodding. "If you go first, and I can watch where you place your hands and feet."

"OK. It may not take us too far, but the longer we can stay out of the damned water, the happier I'll be." He gives her a funny look, and she shrugs. "That pack was damned heavy in the water, and I don't really care for being soggy."

With that, she leans down and opens the soaked bag. It's fairly waterproof, but the items on the outside edge are damp. When she burrows a little further, she finds a dry sports bra and a couple of dry t-shirts including one of his. She passes his shirt to him, and he grunts a thank you. They both change quickly, and she has to roll her eyes at the fact that he stops and watches when she swaps her wet bra for the dry one. "Really, Nathaniel?"

"Still a guy, Lieutenant." He gives her a leer as she laughs and shakes her head.

After pulling the stretched and slightly damaged lines from both of their harnesses, she runs a new one to connect them. She then ties a second line to her belt. At his raised eyebrow, she says, "I can climb better without the pack – when I get up there, I'll drop the end of this one back to you, and you can tie it to the packs so I can haul them up. I'm also going to send you my helmet for the climb."

"Good idea," he nods.

She pulls her gloves back on and straps on her helmet. She studies the rock face for a few moments, and then she reaches out for the easiest handhold she can see. She moves up the wall slowly and methodically, making sure to give Nathaniel, who is shining his light up on her from below, can track her moves.

Even going slow, it's a short climb. When she's safely on the new ledge, she uses her light to peer along the ledge. It's several feet wide, and it runs well into the darkness parallel with the flowing water. Satisfied that this is worth the effort, she unclips the second rope and the helmet. She ties the helmet to the end and threads the rest through her harness. Lowering it to Nathaniel, he removes the helmet and ties on the packs, adding the flashlight to the outside pocket of his.

"Good to go, Alicia!"

She nods and grunts a little as she hauls up the water-weighted packs. In moments, she has them on the ledge next to her. She scoots back from the edge and plants herself low on her knees, and she calls down to him. "OK, Nathaniel, come up. The rock is kind of soft and slippery. Just be careful."

"Yes ma'am." He calls back.

She feels movement on the rope, and though it takes him longer than it took her – and though it involves a little more scrambling and swearing – he joins her on the ledge. After giving him a moment to catch his breath, Alicia reaches for her pack.

He beats her to it – before she can get it, he gets it and swings it onto his own shoulders, handing her his smaller day pack instead along with her helmet. She starts to protest, but he holds up a hand to stop her. "Alicia, if we end up in the river again, you know I can manage the bigger pack more easily."

She scowls at him briefly before nodding begrudgingly and shrugs into his smaller pack. He reaches into it before she sets off, pulling out a canteen of water and offering it to her. She eyes it suspiciously, and he laughs. "It's filtered, from the outpost. Even I know to avoid dysentery, Alicia."

Taking a swallow from the canteen and then passing it back to him, she smirks. "I seem to recall an incident in Brazil that wouldn't bear that out."

He cringes. "Don't remind me. And how do you think I learned my lesson?"

She chuckles as he takes a drink and puts the water back in the pack she carries. Once she feels him zip it up, she tests the line between them and heads off, following the ledge in the direction of the flowing water. She can feel motion on the line behind her, and she knows Nathaniel is close but not so close that a slip would send them both tumbling.

She's happy when the ledge extends out longer than even she had hoped, continuing for at least a quarter of a mile. As they progress, she starts to hear static on her comm, and she reaches up to tap it on. "Carter? Come in?" It amazes her that the little comms continue to work after being dunked.

More static comes, but Alicia thinks she can hear a voice. She's hopeful that as they get closer to the surface that it might clear up. A moment later, Nathaniel asks, "Is yours still working? I lost mine when I fell."

She pauses, turning back to him. "Yes, and Carter got Malcolm to tinker with the signal to deal with the mineral deposits down here. That may be why you could hear me earlier but I couldn't hear you."

"I was wondering." He nods and then looks beyond her, shining the light. "Looks like we might be running out of ledge soon."

She turns towards the end, sighing. It's pretty distant, but she can see it too. "I know. But maybe we're closing in on a way out, even if we have to get wet again." She shifts in her still-squishy shoes and damp pants.

"Works for me. I'm ready to see the damned sun again." He scowls at the darkness surrounding them.

She reaches up and cups his cheek with her palm. "Not into spelunking, Commander?"

He rolls his eyes but turns his head to press a kiss to her hand. "Not really, Lieutenant. Enjoying the company, though. We don't get to be OTG together very much anymore. I kind of miss it."

That brings a soft smile to her face. "Me too. And of course it only happens when one of us is in trouble."

He laughs. "Yep." He brushes a piece of hair out of her eyes, tangled from its time in the water. "If we have to stay out Outpost Three tonight, maybe I can brush your hair for you."

Her smile widens at the memory that invokes, a day not long after she arrived and they got stuck in a cave during a torrential rain storm. "I'd like that. Now let's go. Hopefully Carter is tracking the river to the source from underground, and we can meet there."

She heads towards the end of the ledge, and he follows. "Six years ago, who would have believed that we'd be relying on Carter of all people to save us?"

She snorts. "Not me."

Just a few minutes later, they're to the end of their ledge. Alicia starts to speak, but then she notices something. She touches Nathaniel's arm. "Do you feel that?"

He looks puzzled for a moment before nodding. "A breeze."

She inhales deeply. "And the air smells a little fresher – not so damp."

Together, they move towards the edge, Nathaniel sweeping the light around. An idea hits Alicia. She reaches up and switches off her light. "Nathaniel, turn off the flashlight." Before he can ask why, she adds, "If there's light from outside, we may be missing it because of our lights."

"Good idea," he agrees, turning off his light.

They both blink a little in the inky darkness, but as Alicia's eyes adjust, she can see that where the river disappears under a low wall, the darkness is dissipated by a glow. "There!" she points towards the wall, "Under the wall to the right."

His head turns in that direction, and his hand grips her arm. "Good eye, Alicia." Now able to see a little in the darkness, she can see his face as he looks down at her. "Looks like we're getting wet again."

"I know. Crap." She sighs and taps her comm again, seeing if the proximity to the opening helps the signal at all. "Carter? You there?" Nathaniel turns his flashlight back on, pointing it at the ground to not blind them.

At first, Alicia just hears static, but then she hears Carter's voice somewhat clearly through the interference. "Wash? Wash, is that you?"

"In the flesh Carter. Are you near the source of the surface part of the river?" She grabs Nathaniel's free hand, smiling. "We'd really like to get the hell out of here, but I'd prefer to not get back in the water until we know someone is there to fish us out, someone other than a damned carno."

"We? Wash, is Taylor with you and OK?"

"He is. We're soggy and cranky, but otherwise fine." She hears chatter in the background, she assumes him confirming to others that they're all right. "Carter, what's your location?"

"Sorry, Wash; we just got to the river bank at the source. I can see where the water's coming out. If you are where I think you are, it's a small waterfall where the river comes out. Maybe ten feet across and a fifteen foot drop. From what we can see, the water looks deep and no obstacles. May be a bumpy ride, though."

"Oh yippee," she deadpans. "We'll probably send a pack down first to see if we're in the right place, Carter. Stand by."

"Standing by."

She looks up at Nathaniel, and he nods. They're going to send his smaller pack down. They leave a few heavy items in the bottom, but they transfer his water, food, and space blanket to her pack. He puts it on a line to try to guide it towards the light they saw, lowers it into the rushing water, and lets it go. She taps her comm again. "Coming to you Carter. Let me know when you see it."

They want to know how far it is to the surface. Luckily, it's only about fifteen seconds later when she hears Carter whoop over the comm. "We see it, Wash!"

She breathes a sigh of relief and looks up at Nathaniel again. "It's through."

He grins, and he holds out his hand for her comm. "You first, Alicia." She frowns and starts to argue, but he just holds up his hand. "You first. I'll make it an order if I have to, Lieutenant."

Huffing out a breath in frustration, she nods and passes him the comm. She also hands him her helmet to either wear or attach to her pack, which she knows he'll bring down with him. She pulls the line between them, hating that she has to completely disconnect from him but knowing that they don't have a line long enough to stay connected safely. Loose lines could also tangle in the water and drag one or both of them under.

She leans up and presses a firm kiss to his lips. "Meet you at the bottom. You owe me a hair-brushing, Commander."

He hugs her close. "I intend to make good on that, Lieutenant," he pauses, his voice dropping and slightly vulnerable, "And I'm glad you stayed with me, Alicia."

She blinks, suddenly slightly emotional. He still has the ability to surprise her. She cups his cheek with her palm. "Always, Nathaniel." To lighten the moment, she smirks a little. "Except right now. Because, you know, you're making me go first."

He chuckles and puts her comm in his ear as she steps towards the edge. "Be careful, Alicia." He taps the comm. "Carter, Alicia is on her way to you."

At Carter's affirmative, he nods to Alicia, and she lowers herself into the river, much higher and closer to their ledge here. The cold water makes her gasp, and she's quickly caught in the current. She swims with the current towards the light and turns herself to go down feet first. Seconds later, she takes a deep breath as she goes under the wall.

She emerges from under the wall and surfaces, and the water moves even faster. She keeps her arms tight to her body, and after a few seconds, she feels herself dropping. She tries to stay feet first and relaxed as she plunges downward and lands in the cold, deep river below with a splash. She kicks hard to propel herself up to the surface, coming up this time in the fading light of day. She coughs a few times and swims towards her people standing on the shore as she hears Carter call to Nathaniel that she's through.

Carter helps her from the water, and she turns to watch the falls. A moment later, she seems him drop into the river as she had, surfacing quickly and swimming to them. She's actually surprised to see him still moving so well. He may try to hide it from the others, but she's sure that he's exhausted and sore. It's been a long day, and his started pretty rough.

But he's grinning when she and Carter meet him at the shore. Carter takes the pack from him, and Nathaniel wraps Alicia up in a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She shivers a little when he leans down and tells her to get her hairbrush ready. She can't help but wonder how such an innocent statement can sound so decidedly less-than-innocent.

She pushes him away with a laugh, and he grins again, squeezing water from his t-shirt and flicking it at her. Alicia whips her ponytail in his direction, flinging water back. Carter just walks towards the rover with the packs, shaking his head. Alicia chuckles when she notices the two newer members of security Carter has with him, watching her and Nathaniel with a mix of awe and confusion (apparently seeing their two commanding officers soaking wet and teasing each other has blown their minds, at least judging by the looks on their faces).

She sees a rover and a rhino sitting nearby, and a couple more soldiers are standing guard, watching for predators. She's sure they have the rhino with them in case she and Nathaniel were injured, but they're not, so she heads for the rover and climbs in the back. Nathaniel follows her, barking at Carter that he can drive them to the outpost, and then he climbs into the back of the rover with Alicia. She immediately curls into him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wraps an arm around her as they listen to Carter tell the soldiers what to do.

She feels his body grow still and heavy, and she realizes that he fell asleep almost instantly upon relaxing. When Carter tosses their packs in the front passenger seat and then climbs into the driver's seat, he turns to look at them. His eyes widen when they land on Nathaniel. She holds up and indicates not to say anything. She whispers, "Long day." Carter nods and smiles before turning and powering up the rover.

Darkness falls as they pull up to Outpost 3. Alicia sighs. They'd lost track of time in the cave, but she's still disappointed that they won't head back to the colony until the morning. Carter gets out and stretches, grabbing the packs. "Wash," he offers quietly, "I'll have Reilly pull some of your clothes out of this and get them dried."

She thanks him with a weary nod and a smile, and then she moves her hand to Nathaniel's chest. "Nathaniel?" She nudges him. "Nathaniel? Wake up, we're to the outpost."

He starts, jumping slightly and blinking his eyes. "What, we're already back?"

She smiles, pulling back from him. "Yes. You pretty much fell asleep the moment you sat down. Come on. Let's go call Gracie and Caroline to say goodnight, grab a hot shower, and go to bed."

She climbs out, and he follows her, grabbing her hand as they walk inside. Carter is waiting for them. "I kicked myself and Malcolm out of the room we bunked in with you last night, Taylor. I also put your pack in there, Wash, and Reilly has some of your clothes drying out for tomorrow – she left you some sweatpants for tonight. Communications is set up for you two to call the girls, and Reilly and Dunham almost have dinner ready for everyone. I told everyone to keep the one private bathroom clear for the next hour, figuring you both probably want to get cleaned up."

They both smile their thanks. Alicia says, "Thanks, Carter, for everything."

Nathaniel nods. "It's much appreciated, Carter. Can you ask Reilly to just dump some water and a plate for each of us in our room. We're probably not going to be up for company later. I'm dead on my feet, and I think this one," he indicates Alicia, "Is too."

"Will do." He grins at them both and heads to the kitchen.

They turn and go to communications, where they call the colony. Shannon must have kicked out the soldier on duty there, as he answers their call, flipping on the video feed. "Man, you two both look like something the cat dragged in." He grins, but Alicia can see the gratitude in his eyes. He turns them towards Nathaniel. "Elisabeth said you and Dunham kept her from ending up in the river. Thank you, Taylor."

Alicia looks at Nathaniel. They haven't talked at all about what actually happened this morning. "It was nothing, Shannon. Where are Caroline and the Bug?"

"I just comm'ed Maddy. She's walking them over. Liz didn't tell me everything – what happened, Taylor?"

Alicia hasn't heard this either, so she's glad when Nathaniel brushes a hand through his hair and begins, "Malcolm insisted the ground was safe, and honestly, I think he thought it was. We'd hit some sinkholes last night, but they weren't significant. I should've asked someone to bring out the deep scanner last night, and I didn't. It's more my fault than his."

He looks hard at them both to underscore that point. "The ground felt soft but OK, but as the doc spotted some of her plants, the ground just sort of fell away under us." He takes a deep breath. "I heard Dunham and the doc yell, and as I turned back to look, the ground just dropped. I started sliding. Luckily, I landed near them on that ledge where you found us, Alicia."

"How did Elisabeth get injured, Nathaniel? In the initial fall?" Alicia looks at him.

He nods. "Yes. When I landed, Dunham was stretched out flat, leaning over the ledge. Elisabeth landed right at the edge of the ledge, her left side taking the brunt. According to Dunham, she was heading head first for the river when he grabbed a foot. He was literally clinging to her ankle and about to lose her when I got to them. I helped him pull her up."

"Shit." That's all Jim can say. He's gone pale.

Alicia tries to lighten things a little. "Well, looks like you two are even." When they both look at her in confusion, she smiles. "Shannon saved me on a mountain last year, you saved Liz today. All square again on the wife-saving front."

They both laugh at that, and then Gracie and Caroline arrive. Before Caroline or Shannon can say anything, Gracie looks at the video screen and, clearly noting their wet, bedraggled appearances, protests, "Mama, Daddy, you went swimmin' without Gracie? You pwomised we could go together soon!"

They all laugh at that, and the conversation is fairly uphill from there. Twenty minutes later, they're both drying out, but Alicia is suddenly feeling more than a little chilled. They emerge after saying their goodnights to Shannon and the girls, and they head to their room to collect dry clothes. After that, they head to the bathroom, and they both strip down, stepping under the hot water in the shower together.

He grabs the shampoo from her and works it into her hair for her, gently washing away the dirt and grime from the cave and the river. She does the same for him, and before she knows it, he has her back pressed against the wall of the shower, kissing her hard and deep. She's surprised that he has the energy for it, but she's more than willing when his hands trail down her body to lift her up and make love to her against the wall of the small shower stall.

When they finish and he lowers her back to the ground, her knees are weak. She can see that his burst of energy is fading, so they both rinse off again quickly. Once they get dried off, with hair still damp they head to their room. As promised, Nathaniel pulls her brush from her pack and tends to her hair for her, removing any remaining tangles and gently brushing it out.

After a quick dinner of the sandwiches and soup Reilly left for them, Alicia also makes Nathaniel down one of the anti-inflammatory pain pills she keeps in her med kit. They then douse the lights and curl up on one of the small beds in the room. He presses a kiss to her head, murmuring a "Love you, Alicia," before he is out.

She clings to him and whispers, "I love you too, Nathaniel," even though he's already asleep. As much as this day scared her, it ended well, and she doesn't generally ask for much more than that. She drifts off to sleep herself, relaxed and happy in the knowledge that all of her loved ones are safe and sound again.


End file.
